


Repentance

by Miss_Nihilist



Series: I Think There's a Fault in My Code [3]
Category: Astro Boy (2009)
Genre: Bad Parenting, Canon Compliant, Dr. Tenma Is Trying, Emotionally Repressed, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:55:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24898027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Nihilist/pseuds/Miss_Nihilist
Summary: Hiding from the government after the Peacekeeper’s rampage, tensions between Astro and Tenma reach a boiling point. There are a few things left ignored that need to be addressed.
Relationships: Atom | Astro Boy & Dr. Tenma | Dr. Boynton
Series: I Think There's a Fault in My Code [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767133
Comments: 12
Kudos: 51





	Repentance

It was silent save the scraping of their silverware across the plates. Lukewarm spaghetti and purified rainwater were all that had been prepared. Doctor Tenma wasn't much of a cook and military rations were less than savory.

He glanced across the table and couldn't help but frown when he noticed his son picking at his food. Maybe Tenma shouldn't have served it to him. It wasn't as though Toby needed to eat anymore, though he was capable of doing so. Food was simply stored in a small compartment in his chest and the heat generated from Toby's Blue Core was enough to incinerate it all without need for waste disposal. Eating dinner at all was more for show than any practical function. It wasn't like Tenma was hungry after the way the last few days had been.

Mechanically, Tenma shoveled another bite of pasta into his mouth and looked down at his plate. "Don't play with your food, Toby. It's not polite."

He knew without having to look that Toby would be scowling. Inwardly, Tenma was already second-guessing himself. Was his tone too hard? Was he being too direct? He didn't usually put so much thought into what he told his son but, considering what had happened…

Well, it was better safe than sorry. If Tenma was going to commit to his son, then he needed to apply himself as a father through actions, not just words.

Sure enough, there was a huff and Toby dropped his fork with a clatter that was far too loud. "Why did you even bother to give me food, then? You _designed_ me! You know I can't taste or smell and I don't _need_ to digest, so why are we playing house like I'm four?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "Besides, if we're talking about politeness, then you shouldn't be letting your _property_ eat at the table like a person."

"Toby," Tenma cut in sharply. "I will not have you raising your voice at me and, more importantly, I will _not_ tolerate you talking about yourself like that. Where is this coming from? You're not property. You of all people should know that." The first half of Toby's statement went ignored. How was Tenma supposed to admit that he _needed_ the sense of normalcy, no matter how haphazard and fake it was?

Dinner had been forgotten. It was obvious to Tenma already that he wasn't going to be finishing it. The spaghetti was rubbery, anyway.

"Sure, _I_ know that," Toby continued, "but not everyone else does. And you won't talk about it with me. I'm a _robot_. You made me _illegally_ with government money. They don't see me as my own person, I'm basically just Ministry property!"

"I know what they think of you! Why do you think we're in here?" Tenma gestured at the bunker around them. Metro City didn't have a lot of space underground, but Tenma had a few places that he could go to in an emergency. His son being wanted by the government counted as such.

Toby groaned. "So what, we're just going to stay in here forever? I want to see my friends. You promised that I could!" There was an accusation in his voice that Tenma didn't miss. He had no idea why Toby clung to the notion of promises when Tenma had never kept them in the past.

"Yes, but I never said when that would be." Picking up his fork again, Tenma turned back to his food but couldn't bring himself to resume eating. Even the sight of his half-empty glass of water made his stomach churn. He stared at his plate rather than meeting Toby's eyes. "It's far too dangerous right now, son. You can be as upset as you like, but keeping you safe while I sort through this… _disagreement_ with our public figures is much more important than seeing your friends."

"You never tell me what you're planning to do, though!" Toby fired back. He still hadn't lowered his voice, but the idea of reminding him struck Tenma as rather pointless. "It's _my_ life that you guys are talking about! And when you don't tell me things like this, you— you—!" He struggled to find the words. Tenma looked up at Toby, patient. Finally, his son spit out, "You're treating me like an object, too! Like I don't have autonomy! You pretend that you care, but you're the same as them! I'm not a person to you!"

Doctor Tenma dropped his fork and it clattered off the side of the plate and to the floor. He didn't notice, standing up so abruptly that his chair nearly fell over. "Toby! I don't appreciate being talked to like that!" He was trying to keep his anger under control, but it was getting difficult. Tenma took a deep breath anyway. "I'm your father and I love you. Why are these things up for debate?"

Rather than cooling Toby down, Tenma's question seemed to have the opposite effect. He stood up as well, much less tactfully. Toby's chair hit the ground with a sharp bang. "Because you keep _saying_ those things are true, but you don't act like it!" He shouted, hands balled up into fists. "You're negotiating with the government, but are you bartering for me like I'm your property or like I'm your son?"

The accusation made Tenma bristle. "You're my son, of course!" He faltered. "What sort of question is that?"

"One you've refused to answer since we got here!" Toby threw his hands up in frustration, leaving the table to begin pacing. "How am I supposed to trust you when you don't explain anything to me?"

"I'm your father! I would never hurt you." Tenma tried to make it soothing, but it came out more like a question. He was just having trouble understanding. Things between them never used to be complicated.

To his surprise, Toby scoffed. "Yeah, and my _father_ disowned me and shut me down, so forgive me if I'm having a few doubts!"

It felt like Tenma had the wind knocked out of him. He stared, mouth open, having no idea what to say. The argument was drained from his body. God, Toby was _right_. What had he done?

He could tell that Toby regretted what he'd said as soon as the words left his mouth. His jaw snapped shut and he couldn't seem to look away from his dad, aghast.

Tenma thought that he ought to be angry, but Toby hadn't said anything _wrong_. He had disowned his son and, for a moment there, really _honestly_ thought that he would be fine with Toby being dead. Again. And it would have, again, been Tenma's fault. What he'd done was horrible, but Tenma hadn't thought about the repercussions. The last few days confined in close quarters with Toby flashed through his mind. The short answers, the tense silences, the flinches and grimaces that Tenma had willed himself to ignore.

He had promised himself that he would do better, but words were cheap. Tenma was repeating the same mistakes that led them there. He was pushing Toby away _again_.

Taking a step forward, around the table, Tenma reached out a hand. "Toby…" He tried, coaxing. Maybe Tenma could still fix it. There was an apology on the tip of his tongue.

But he'd said something wrong. Suddenly, Toby's regret was gone and he glared at Tenma with a ferocity that genuinely surprised him. "And I'm _not_ Toby!" He practically screamed. "I'm my own person! I'm _Astro_!"

Against his better judgment, Tenma lurched forward to try and grab his son. His thoughts were fumbling through the process of putting together a proper apology but it was all happening so fast. He saw the flash of fear on Toby's face and the guilt was so intense that he couldn't breathe for a long moment. There was the click of metal and a rush of heat. That was the only warning that Tenma got before the bunker was rocked by impact, a gaping hole in the reinforced ceiling that was spilling in light and bits of dirt.

Tenma's heart pounded as he surveyed the damage. The table had been knocked over, splattering pasta and spaghetti sauce all over the tile floor like a crime scene. Bits of plaster and dust sprinkled down. He stared at the hole in the ceiling, frozen. Toby had done that. The smoke trail from his rockets was slowly dissipating. He had been so desperate to get away from his father that he had smashed through six feet of solid concrete purely on impulse.

The guilt was suffocating. Tenma collected himself. He had to get his priorities in order. The military could track Toby's Core. The bunker was reinforced to muffle the signal of the intense energy that he put out. So Tenma had to get him back inside, _quickly_ , before their situation got any worse. He had no idea what the new President would do with a robot that powerful, hence why Toby was supposed to remain safely hidden until Tenma had finished the negotiations.

He would call Doctor Elefun. If anyone could track the Blue Core, it would be him.

So, first things first. Tenma was going to find his son, _Astro_ , and before he said anything else, he was going to say _"I'm sorry."_ That would be a start.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm usually not this dialogue-heavy, but I've had this argument scripted in my head for ages. By the end of the movie, Tenma was still calling Astro by Toby. That mistake (and all of its implications) wasn't going to last forever.
> 
> **Feel free to check out my Astro Boy blog[HERE](https://astroboy2003sub.tumblr.com/) for updates on my writing and other Astro Boy content!**


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